This invention relates to dispensers for materials that are applied manually to a substrate, such as, for example, cosmetics that are applied to a portion or feature of a user""s face, and to cap and applicator units for such dispensers. In one important specific aspect, to which detailed reference will be made for purposes of illustration, the invention is particularly directed to dispensers for mascara, as well as to mascara packages.
In current commercial practice, mascara is commonly packaged in a small dispenser constituted of a container having a neck and a cap threadedly or otherwise removably mounted on the neck, the dispenser being dimensioned to be held in a user""s hand and to be easily carried in a small purse. Typical configurations for such a dispenser include an elongated cylinder, in which the container and the cap each occupies about half the length of the external surface, or a similarly proportioned structure having a more or less square cross-section, although various other designs are also employed. The container and cap are conveniently rigid molded plastic or formed metallic members.
The cap of such a dispenser is provided with an applicator for picking up mascara from the interior of the container and transporting the mascara to and depositing it on the user""s eyelashes. One well known type of applicator for mascara is a brush including an array of relatively stiff nylon or like bristles gripped at their midpoints in a twisted wire core, which is itself mounted at the free distal end of a molded plastic stem projecting distally from the cap so that when the cap is seated on the container neck, the brush extends into the interior of the container. A flexible annular plastic wiper element may be mounted in the neck to engage, and remove excess mascara from, the brush as the brush is withdrawn from the container. In a structure of this type, the cap serves both as a closure for the container and as a handle for the brush.
While applicators such as the described brush satisfactorily deliver mascara to and deposit mascara on eyelashes, the application of mascara may cause adjacent lashes to adhere together, detracting from their desired appearance. To correct this condition, a small lash-separating comb may be employed by the user immediately after the mascara is applied. Such a comb may be provided and carried separately, or may be a disposable item included in the mascara package by the manufacturer, but in either event, it presents problems of storage and shielding, and is liable to become lost or misplaced, hence unavailable when needed.
In addition, owing to the necessarily very small size of the comb (proportioned to engage and separate eyelashes), the handle or other arrangement for manually holding and moving the comb must be such as to enable safe and successful performance of the delicate manipulations involved in its use.
Similar problems may be encountered, for instance, in the case of other cosmetics (or topically applicable therapeutic materials) as to which both a primary applicator and a secondary implement to assist in the application procedure are desirably provided.
An object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for a material to be applied manually to a substrate utilizing a primary applicator and a secondary implement to assist in the application procedure, wherein both the primary applicator and the secondary implement are carried in a cap element of the dispenser and are available for use without detachment therefrom, while being enclosed and shielded at other times.
A further object is to provide such a dispenser wherein the secondary implement is readily retractable within and extensible from the cap by simple manual operations, and wherein the implement, when extended, is conveniently positioned for manipulation with the dispenser employed as the handle for the implement.
Yet another object is to provide such a dispenser for mascara, wherein the secondary implement is an eyelash-separating comb, the dispenser being of conventional shape and dimensions.
Additional objects of the invention are to provide a cap and applicator unit for such a dispenser, including a retractable and extensible implement, and to provide a mascara package including such a dispenser and a quantity of mascara contained therein.
To these and other ends, the present invention in a first aspect broadly contemplates the provision of a dispenser for a material to be applied manually to a substrate, comprising a container for the material, having an opening; a hollow cap having a distal end removably mountable on the opening and an open proximal end; an applicator for the material, carried by the cap and projecting from the distal end thereof for insertion into the opening; an implement receivable within the open proximal end of the cap and extendable therefrom in a proximal direction to assist in application of the material; a member extending distally from the implement lengthwise within the cap; the cap including a portion within which the implement and stem are moveable; the cap further including an element, manually movable relative to the last-mentioned cap portion, and pivotally connected to the member within the cap so as to move the member to displace the implement lengthwise of the cap between a retracted position within the proximal end of the cap and an extended position outside the cap, the member having an axis of pivotal motion; and a guide within the cap, engaging the member, the member having a guide-engaging portion so shaped and disposed, in relation to the guide and the axis of pivotal motion, that as the member is moved by the element to displace the implement from the retracted position to the extended position, the guide pivotally tilts the member to dispose the implement in offset relation to the cap.
In certain embodiments, the aforementioned cap portion and element are, respectively, proximally and distally disposed parts of a hollow cap shell interconnected for rotation relative to each other about a common long axis; the cap further includes a swivel having an internally threaded transverse bore and mounted within the hollow shell on the proximal end of the element for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the common long axis; the stem is externally threaded and extends through the bore in threaded engagement therewith such that relative rotation of the swivel and stem causes lengthwise movement of the stem; and the cap portion defines a slot, through which the stem extends, dimensioned to prevent rotation of the stem about the common long axis relative to the aforementioned cap portion.
More particularly, in currently preferred embodiments of the invention, a dispenser for a material to be applied manually to a substrate comprises a container for the material, having an opening; a hollow cap having a distal end removably mountable on the opening and an open proximal end; an applicator for the material, carried by the cap and projecting from the distal end thereof for insertion into the opening; an implement receivable within the open proximal end of the cap and extendable therefrom in a proximal direction to assist in application of the material; a member extending distally from the implement lengthwise within the cap; a manually accessible and movable button on the exterior of the cap, pivotally connected to the member within the cap so as to move the member to displace the implement lengthwise of the cap between a retracted position within the proximal end of the cap and an extended position outside the cap, the member having an axis of pivotal motion; and a fixed guide within the cap, engaging the member, the member having a guide-engaging portion so shaped and disposed, in relation to the guide and the axis of pivotal motion, that as the member is moved by the button to displace the implement from the retracted position to the extended position, the guide pivotally tilts the member to dispose the implement in offset relation to the cap.
The terms xe2x80x9cdistalxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cproximalxe2x80x9d as used herein are defined by the convention that the applicator is at the distal end of the cap and the cap is at the proximal end of the applicator.
As a particular feature of the invention, in preferred embodiments thereof, the button is slidable lengthwise of the cap, the cap has a longitudinal slot, and the button is connected to the member through the slot. Conveniently the button and member are connected by structure including an element disposed in the slot, which has closed extremities engageable with the element to limit the movement of the button and member. Thus, the button may be connected by such an element to a yoke within the cap and the member may be pivotally mounted on the yoke.
Also conveniently or preferably, the member comprises a shaft having a central portion with opposed straight sides and terminating distally in a dogleg with opposed straight sides, the central portion and the dogleg forming an oblique angle with a vertex coincident with the axis of pivotal motion. In addition, the implement, which may be a comb, advantageously has an angular orientation relative to the member such that, when the implement is in offset relation to the cap as aforesaid, it is substantially parallel to the long axis of the cap. The implement may be formed integrally with the member, e.g. as a unitary rigid molded plastic component.
The container opening may be an externally threaded neck and, in such case, the distal portion of the cap comprises an internally threaded skirt engageable with the neck, the skirt laterally surrounding the applicator in spaced relation thereto.
In embodiments of the invention for use as dispensers for mascara, the applicator is an applicator for conveying mascara from the container to a user""s eyelashes, and the implement is a comb for separating eyelashes.
The invention in further aspects embraces a mascara package comprising a dispenser as described above and a body of mascara in the container; and a cap and applicator unit for such a dispenser, including the cap, applicator, implement, member, button and guide described above.
As embodied in a mascara package, the invention affords a dispenser configured in a manner that duplicates the normal consumer-accepted mascara package design, and (like conventional mascara dispensers) affords a mascara fluid reservoir and a means of application. The dispenser of the invention incorporates into the cap a lash separator comb that is normally enclosed and hidden. After the user has applied the mascara and replaced the cap, the comb can be extended by sliding a button on the side of the cap. The comb emerges and projects through the top or proximal end of the cap. At the end of the comb-extending stroke, the comb tilts so that it is clear of the relatively massive dispenser. This facilitates the delicate procedure of eyelash separation, using the dispenser itself as the handle for manipulating the comb. After use, the comb is retracted and stored within the cap, being thereby shielded. It cannot become lost or misplaced, because it is at all times connected to the cap.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter set forth, together with the accompanying drawings.